Kate Chopin was born on February 8, 1850, and she was an American author of short stories and novels. Some people consider Chopin to be one of the forerunners of feminist authors in the 20th century. Her writing career started when in 1870, she married Oscar Chopin. After Oscar Chopin’s business failed in 1879, they moved to Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, where they managed several small plantations and a general store. They became active in the community, where Chopin obtained her writing inspirations for later on. Then, in 1882, Oscar Chopin died, and left Kate Chopin with a $12,000 debt. After trying to keep business alive, Kate sold the general store and moved to St. Louis with her mother. One year after that, Kate’s mother died. Filled with depression, Kate was told by her obstetrician and family friend that she should start writing, because writing would be a sort of therapy to heal her wounds, and it’d provide her with a source of income. Thus, Kate Chopin’s writing career began. At first, Kate’s writing was doing well. She was published in some magazines and was popular. In 1890 though, Kate wrote her first novel, At Fault, and this novel basically went unnoticed by the public. Then, in 1899, when Kate wrote her second book, The Awakening, she got a huge response. However, it was negative; people widely condemned it, calling it morbid, vulgar, and disagreeable. Kate’s writings were influenced by Guy de Maupassant, who was a popular French writer at the time; in fact born the same year. Kate Chopin said, “I read his stories and marveled at them. Here was life, not fiction; for where were the plots, the old fashioned mechanism and stage trapping that in a vague, unthinkable way I had fancied were essential to the art of story making. Here was a man who had escaped from tradition and authority, who had entered into himself and looked out upon life through his own being and with his own eyes; and who, in a direct and simple
Kate Chopin was born on February 8, 1850, and she was an American author of short stories and novels. Some people consider Chopin to be one of the forerunners of feminist authors in the 20th century. Her writing career started when in 1870, she married Oscar Chopin. After Oscar Chopin’s business failed in 1879, they moved to Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, where they managed several small plantations and a general store. They became active in the community, where Chopin obtained her writing inspirations for later on. Then, in 1882, Oscar Chopin died, and left Kate Chopin with a $12,000 debt. After trying to keep business alive, Kate sold the general store and moved to St. Louis with her mother. One year after that, Kate’s mother died. Filled with depression, Kate was told by her obstetrician and family friend that she should start writing, because writing would be a sort of therapy to heal her wounds, and it’d provide her with a source of income. Thus, Kate Chopin’s writing career began. At first, Kate’s writing was doing well. She was published in some magazines and was popular. In 1890 though, Kate wrote her first novel, At Fault, and this novel basically went unnoticed by the public. Then, in 1899, when Kate wrote her second book, The Awakening, she got a huge response. However, it was negative; people widely condemned it, calling it morbid, vulgar, and disagreeable. Kate’s writings were influenced by Guy de Maupassant, who was a popular French writer at the time; in fact born the same year. Kate Chopin said, “I read his stories and marveled at them. Here was life, not fiction; for where were the plots, the old fashioned mechanism and stage trapping that in a vague, unthinkable way I had fancied were essential to the art of story making. Here was a man who had escaped from tradition and authority, who had entered into himself and looked out upon life through his own being and with his own eyes; and who, in a direct and simple